Ultrasound system control panel and display lift

ABSTRACT

The control panel and display of a cart-borne ultrasound system are support by a lift which can be controlled to allow the control panel and display to be raised, lowered, and rotated. The lift has a first pivot elbow mounted to the ultrasound system cart and a second pivot elbow on which the control panel and display are mounted. A four-bar linkage is coupled between the pivot elbows which enables to control panel and display to be raised and lowered while maintaining the inclination of the control panel. The pivot elbows allow the control panel and display to be turned and rotated. A pair of hydraulic struts are mounted to the four-bar linkage to support the weight of the control panel and display. When a control button on the handle of the control panel is depressed the control panel and display can be freely raised, lowered and rotated. When the control button is released the pivot elbows and four-bar linkages are locked in their current positions.

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/652,858 filed Jun. 17, 2015, which is the U.S. NationalPhase application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Application No.PCT/IB2013/060993, filed Dec. 16, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/739,529 filed Dec. 19, 2012. Theseapplications are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

This invention relates to medical diagnostic ultrasound systems and, inparticular, to ultrasound system carts with adjustable control panel anddisplay elevation.

Cart-borne ultrasound systems are convenient medical imaging instrumentsbecause they can be set up easily in an imaging lab or rolled to apatient's bedside when needed. They are conventionally used bysonographers in different postures: standing, sitting or leaning overthe patient being scanned. In any of these positions it is important toposition the control panel in a so-called “user zone” for thesonographer so that it is comfortably accessible and enables easymanipulation of the display screen so that it can closely observed whilescanning. In order to make these adjustments it is necessary for thecontrol panel and system display to have a wide range of motion, bothhorizontally and vertically. After the control panel and display areproperly positioned, the control panel must remain solidly in place andnot move or wobble as the sonographer manipulates the controls. Thepresent invention is directed to meeting these objectives.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a lift isprovided for an ultrasound system which enables the control panel anddisplay to be elevated to different heights and pivoted to a comfortableposition for the sonographer. The lift allows the control panel to bepositioned manually with a handle on the control panel, with the weightof the control panel offset by a hydraulic strut in the lift. The liftcontains a four-bar linkage which maintains the inclination of thecontrol panel as it is elevated and/or rotated. When the control panelis in the desired position the hydraulic strut and pivot axis are lockedby solenoids to maintain the control panel solidly in position. Forsafety, the lift is locked while the cart is wheeled to a differentposition or location.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a cart-borne ultrasound system constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of a control panel lift for anultrasound system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the assembled control panel lift of FIG.2.

FIG. 4 illustrates the control panel lift of FIG. 3 in its fully foldedposition.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a cart-borne ultrasound system 10 is shown.The base of the cart is a housing 12 containing the electronics of theultrasound system such as printed circuit boards. At the back of thehousing is a compartment in which accessories such as probes, videorecorders, gel bottles and cables may be stored or installed. The carthas wheels 20 so that the cart can be rolled to where it is needed. Inthe center of the cart between the wheels is a brake pedal 22 which auser can depress the lock the wheels so that the cart will not roll ormove after it has been positioned for an exam.

Above the housing 12 is a control panel 14 by which a sonographeroperates the ultrasound system and controls a scanning procedure. Adisplay screen 16 is mounted above the control panel where thesonographer can observe the screen while manipulating the controls ofthe control panel or scanning the patient. The display screen is mountedat the end of an articulating arm 18 which allows the screen to beraised, lowered, tilted, and moved or turned to the left or right so asto locate the screen in a convenient position for observation whilescanning. The articulating arm is more fully described in US pat. pub.no. US 2008/0234577 (Murkowski et al.) In accordance with the presentinvention, the control panel 14 and display 16 are attached to the topof a lift 30 which is mounted on the cart housing 12. The lift enablesthe control panel and display to be raised, lowered, turned left andright, and swung to one side or the other of the base of the cart. Thisrange of motion allows a sonographer to position the control panel anddisplay where it is most convenient to operate the controls and see theultrasound image on the screen while scanning the patient. The lift 30is constructed as a four-bar linkage which maintains the user zone at afixed inclination as they are moved. The user zone is positioned by thesonographer by grasping a handle 24 at the front of the control panelwhile depressing a release button 26 on the handle. The release buttonis a lighted switch mounted in the center of the handle. Depressing therelease button causes it to light and releases a number of mechanisms inthe mechanism arm as described below which allow the arm to be raised orlowered and rotated about either end of the arm. After the sonographerhas the user zone in a desired position the sonographer releases thebutton 26 and the mechanism locks solidly in its current position. Thesonographer can then scan the patient without causing any further motionor wobbling of the user zone.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the components of the lift 30 of FIG. 1.Identical pivot elbows 70 are located at the top and bottom of the lift.Each elbow has a base plate 32 a, 32 b which attach to the housing andcontrol panel assembly, respectively. Each base plate supports andcenters axial journal bearings which keep the elbow assemblies in axialalignment. Each axial bearing is formed by a central annular projectionfrom a bearing hub 40 into the center aperture of base plate 32. Thrustbearings 34 bear the weight of the control panel and display and allowthem to be rotated. Each base plate has a circular arrangement of teethwhich are engaged by a solenoid-controlled pin 48 to lock the mechanismin its current rotated orientation. The pin 48 is mounted in a guidebearing 52 and urged into engagement with the gear teeth by acompression spring 49. A rotation stop 36 is located in each elbow tolimit the rotation to 360°. Each elbow has a bearing hub 40 with one ormore detent divots in its surface. One of the divots marks thestraight-ahead position of the control panel with respect to thehousing, when the control panel is facing in alignment with the wheels.A ball plunger 50 drops into the straight-ahead divot in the bearing hubwhen the control panel is in the straight-ahead position, giving thesonographer the tactile feel of a detent when the control panel is sopositioned. Completing the elbow assembly are O-rings 38, 42, and 44.

Mounted on the bearing hub 40 of each base plate are a pair of elbowframes 80 and 82. The elbow frames each support three pivot shafts,shafts 84 a and 84 b for mounting covers 90 for the elbows, and shafts74 a, 74 b, 74 c and 74 d for mounting links 72 a and 72 b which formthe arm of the mechanism. The shafts are mounted by shaft bearings 86 sothat they can turn freely in the frames. The shafts 74 a, 74 b, 74 c and74 d and links 72 a and 72 b are assembled to form a 4-bar linkagewhich, like a parallelogram, keeps the elbows oriented upward anddownward as the elevation of the mechanism is adjusted. This maintainsthe inclination of the user zone with respect to the floor. Mounted oneach side of the links 72 a, 72 b on pivot shafts 58 a and 58 b arehydraulic struts 62 a and 62 b. The struts may be gas or fluid strutsand operate to support the weight of the control panel and displayassembly, offsetting virtually all of its weight as they arerepositioned by a sonographer. A release housing 64 a, 64 b is mountedat the end of the piston of each strut and a solenoid 60, 61 is mountedon each release housing to lock the strut in its present pistonextension. When the sonographer depresses the button 28 on the controlpanel handle, the solenoids 60, 61 are energized, opening a valve ineach strut so that gas or fluid in each strut can flow as the user zoneelevation is adjusted. When the button is released and the solenoids areno longer energized, the valves are closed which act as a brake to lockthe struts in their current piston-extended positions.

Solenoids 56 a and 56 b are mounted in the elbows to control the pin 48in each elbow. When solenoids 56 a and 56 b are energized by thedepression of button 28, the pins 48 are pulled out of engagement withthe teeth in each elbow, permitting the elbow assemblies 70 to rotatefreely. After the sonographer has turned the control panel to itsdesired orientation, the button 28 is released and the pins 48 drop intothe teeth, locking the elbows and preventing any further rotation byboth elbows. The user zone rotation and elevation are then securelylocked in position.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a switchis in-line between the button and the four solenoids. This switch isclosed when the wheel brake 22 is depressed to lock the wheels, and isopen when the wheel brake 22 is released to roll the cart. This meansthat the solenoids of the lift can only be energized to adjust theelevation and rotation of the lift when the brake 22 is engaged to lockthe wheels 20. When the brake 22 is released to roll the cart, thesolenoids cannot be energized and the lift is locked in position. Thisprevents the lift, control panel and display from swinging around ormoving as the cart is rolled from place to place, ensuring that they arelocked in position when the cart moves. This feature prevents injury tothe operator or other personnel as well as damage to the ultrasoundsystem or other objects.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a switchis located in the straight-ahead detent of each of the bearing hubs andcoupled to the brake 22. This switch controls a solenoid in the brakerelease of the brake 22 and is arranged so that the brake cannot bereleased to roll the wheels unless each ball plunger 50 is engaged inits straight-ahead detent and the control panel and display arepositioned in their straight-ahead position. This ensures that theweight of the control panel and display are centered with respect to thehousing as the cart is moved, which is easier and more convenient formost users to manipulate.

FIG. 3 illustrates the lift 30 of FIGS. 1 and 2 when fully assembled andin a slightly lowered elevation. It can be seen that the upper and lowersurfaces of the elbow plates 32 a and 32 b remain parallel to eachother. This view shows the elbow covers 90 mounted on their mountingpins 84 a and 84 b.

FIG. 4 shows the lift of FIG. 3 when fully lowered. It is seen that thesurfaces of the elbow plates 32 a and 32 b remain parallel in this andall other positions of the lift 30.

What is claimed is:
 1. An ultrasound system comprising: a cart housingcomprising wheels; a control panel; a display; a lift configured tosupport the control panel and the display, wherein the lift isconfigured to articulate to raise, lower and rotate in relation to thecontrol panel, the lift further comprising an elevation mechanismconfigured to raise and lower the control panel and the display, thelift further comprising a hydraulic strut coupled to the elevationmechanism; a control button which is configured to be actuated by a userto allow the elevation mechanism to be raised and lowered and, when notactuated, causes the elevation mechanism to be locked in position, and aswitch that is configured to lock the lift in position when the wheelsare locked, when the control panel is located in a straight-aheadposition, or a combination thereof.
 2. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising a pivot elbow configured to rotate in relation to the controlpanel and the display.
 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising afirst solenoid coupled to the pivot elbow and a second solenoid coupledto the hydraulic strut; wherein the solenoids are configured to beactuated by the control button to enable the pivot elbow to rotate and apiston of the hydraulic strut to extend or retract.
 4. The system ofclaim 3, wherein the pivot elbow is located at the bottom of the liftand is coupled to the cart housing; and further comprising a secondpivot elbow located at the top of the lift and coupled to the controlpanel.
 5. The system of claim 4 wherein the elevation mechanism furthercomprises a four-bar linkage coupled between the first and second pivotelbows, wherein the four-bar linkage operates to maintain a relativeinclination between the first and second pivot elbows.
 6. The system ofclaim 5, wherein the hydraulic strut is a first hydraulic strut, thesystem further comprising a second hydraulic strut coupled to thefour-bar linkage.
 7. The system of claim 3, wherein the control buttonis located on the control panel.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein thecontrol panel comprises a handle and the control button is located onthe handle.
 9. The system of claim 3, wherein the cart housing furthercomprises a brake configured to be actuated by a user to lock the wheels10. The system of claim 9, wherein, when the brake is not actuated, thepivot elbow and elevation mechanism are locked.
 11. The system of claim9, wherein the switch is coupled in-line between the control button andthe solenoids.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein, when the brake locksthe wheels, the switch is closed to allow the solenoids to be energizedby the control button.
 13. The system of claim 9, wherein the pivotelbow comprises the switch, which is coupled to the brake.
 14. Thesystem of claim 13, wherein the switch is configured to determine whenthe control panel is located in a straight-ahead position, and whereinthe brake cannot be operated to unlock the wheels unless the controlpanel is determined to be in the straight-ahead position.
 15. The systemof claim 1, wherein the control panel further comprises a control panelassembly to which the display is mounted.
 16. The system of claim 1,wherein the pivot elbow further comprises gear teeth, and asolenoid-actuated pin which engages the gear teeth to prevent rotationof the pivot elbow.
 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the system isconfigured such that the control panel can be articulated by the lift tobe oriented in a straight-ahead position
 18. The system of claim 14,wherein the pivot elbow further comprises a detent which is engaged whenthe control panel is oriented in the straight-ahead position.
 19. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the control button comprises a lightedswitch.